Research Question: Should Public Schools Have a Uniform? Contributed by: Jessica K
The Return of School Uniforms
Jessica Portner discusses the mandatory-uniform policy adopted by the Long Beach, CA school district in 1994. The policy prohibits gang-related attire, caps, bandanas, baggy pants, and electronic pagers. Portner acknowledges that since the policy went into effect, the number of assaults, fights, and suspensions in the school district has dropped dramatically. These undesirable behaviors have decreased, it is believed, because uniforms put students in the right frame of mind to learn; uniforms can be considered a positive measure in increasing school safety. Uniforms also make it easier to identify intruders and reduce student violence associated with the wearing of gang colors. Judy Jacobs, a mother of two children who attended Rogers Middle School, is among the organizers to help bring uniforms into the school. "There are few boundaries for kids these days, with the drug use and violence, so if we can give them some limits, that's good," she says. Alicia Nunez, an 8th grader at Franklin, disagrees. "You come to school to get your education, not for them to tell you how to dress," she says. Gan Luong, another 8th grader at Franklin, adds, "It's totally bogus. If you wear decent clothes, you shouldn't have to wear uniforms."
It never occurred to me that uniforms could influence the reduction of assaults, fights, and suspensions in a school. I suppose that makes sense because assaults and fights tend to arise as a result of differences among students. Uniforms take away that difference because the students look the same. For this same particular reason, students looking the same, it makes sense that an intruder can be easily spotted; that is not something that had once occurred to me. The ability to spot intruders quickly will allow a school to remain safe; safety has become critical after the number of shootings that have been reported over the past few years. With regards to how uniforms help kids get into the right frame of mind, I remember how when I wore uniforms I felt focused and more prepared for school because I felt "professional" as a student.
Portner, Jessica. "The Return of School Uniforms." Contemporary Issues Companion: School Violence. Ed. Bryan J. Grapes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thiomson Gale. Providence Public School Library. 15. Nov. 2007 from: http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?.
Uniforms Rule: This fall, dress codes are an increasingly popular remedy for all that's wrong with American public schools. Do they deliver?
Students at P.S. 15 on Manhattan's Lower East Side joined students and wore uniforms for the first time in 1999. Alelia Newsome, the mother of a student, is happy with the uniforms because "it's much easier to find clothes in the morning." Educators around the country believe uniforms could solve the problems facing schools today. After the Littleton, Colorado school shootings, many see the dress codes as a cheap and simple way to make schools safer. Proponents add that clothing rules eliminate the baggy gang-inspired look that makes it easy for students to smuggle in weapons, drugs, and other banned items. Dress codes also make it easier to spot intruders. Uniforms, according to this article, are getting the most attention in middle and high schools, where security, school unity, and the extremes of current teen fashions are issues. Says Susan Galletti, a middle-school specialist at the National Association of Secondary School Principals, "You'd be amazed at the amount of time administrators have been spending on what kids are wearing to school. With uniforms, all that is eliminated, and they can spend more time on teaching and learning."
While I was reading this article, I definitely agreed with Alelia Newsome because for the couple of years during elementary school that I wore uniforms, getting ready in the morning was a lot faster and therefore more convenient for my parents; without the uniforms my mom and I would debate every night about what I should wear to school or I would spend a few minutes debating every morning. I personally do not like the look of the baggy gang-inspired clothing because it makes the students look like they do not care; this article proves a good point that baggy clothes can be better at hiding weapons, drugs, and other dangerous items. In response to the quote, I am surprised to see that administrators spend a lot of time discussing the clothes students wear to school; I always thought that the administration never really took notice of the clothing (nothing happened in any of the schools I attended unless the uniform policy was already enforced) and therefore I thought they were focusing more on the curriculum and standards for the school instead.
"Uniforms Rule: This fall, dress codes are an increasingly popular remedy for all that's wrong with American public schools. Do they deliver? (Your Family: Focus) (Brief Article)." Newsweek. 134. 14 (Oct. 4, 1999): 72. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Providence Public Library. 15 Nov. 2007 from: http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?
Taste -- Review & Outlook: All Dressed Up
Uniforms long favored by prep and parochial schools not only spare parents the inevitable fitting-room battles, they undergird the sense of discipline and community essential for learning. If that is good enough for private schools, it should be good enough for public schools. "It saves our working parents a lot of money and effort," says Cherry Hill Elementary School's principal Geraldine Smallwood. And it means that teachers can focus on teaching instead of worrying how inappropriately dressed the students are. Since the Cherry Hill Elementary School moved to uniforms in 1987, school systems from Cincinnati, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Memphis, New Orleans, Seattle, and New York have followed. Uniforms are considered by parents to be a bargain because they are inexpensive compared to other brands of clothes and they provide the elimination of distinctions between, for example, a girl whose mother shops at K-Mart and the girl whose mother shops at Bloomingdale's. "When you make everyone the same outwardly," says John Dilulio, a political scientist at Princeton, "students have to distinguish themselves through achievement. We've come to a pretty sorry state if self-expression is to be determined by purchasing power."
I do not agree that uniforms save parents a lot of money and effort because in all technicality, parents have to spend money not only on the uniforms, but on casual outfits for their children to wear as well; even if the uniform is inexpensive it is still an extra item of clothing. Sometimes looking for uniforms does not provide little effort; there were many times when my mother and I, if there could be a decision made between pants and skirts as part of the uniform ensemble, would debate which would look more appropriate and what I would be comfortable wearing before we made the purchase. I do agree, however, because all of the students look the same, that distinctions between the students are eliminated, and that is important because children of parents wth a lower income than others may get ridiculed for their clothing.
(September 11, 1998). Taste -- Review & Outlook: All Dressed Up. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition). New York, N.Y.: Sep 11, 1998. pg. W.9, Retrieved 11/15/2007, from http://0-proquest.umi.com.helin.uri.edu:80/pqdweb?did
Uniforms in Public Schools and the First Amendment: A Constitutional Analysis
Many educational stakeholders believe that uniforms may curb negative behaviors associated with student dress such as teasing, absenteeism, tardiness, gang-related activity, and school violence. Opponents of uniforms, however, believe that they will interfere with students' rights to choose their dress, which is a violation of students' First Amendment right to free speech. Proponents of uniforms believe that uniforms will promote student health, safety, and varying academic related outcomes. Uniforms, proponents believe, may also increase positive student attitudes towards school and its educational goals. Finally, these same proponents believe that uniforms can increase attendance rates, lower suspension rates, and decrease substance abuse rates. Those opposed to uniforms, however, believe that uniforms restrict students rights for freedom of cultural express in their dress; dress has cultural and ethnic dimensions. Also uniforms, they believe, will restrict youth engagement in normal developmental tasks of identity experimentation with dress. Finally, it is believed that uniforms represent and encourage the intrusion of local and state policies in the private lives of students and parents.
I remember when my mother reassured me that I could go back to wearing my casual clothes on the weekends. Yes uniforms may be a violation of students' freedom of speech but at the same time schools in the United States only occur five days a week. Therefore, I do not think that it is necessary for students and parents to feel so offended because the students can express themselves all they want for two days over the weekend. Students would have freedom of speech, which is an important value in this country, with regards to their clothing, but a logo that they wear might be offending to another student; it is not fair that other students may have to feel uncomfortable in their own school. After all, they are in school to learn and get an education, not to be distracted in their education by something that offends them. Yes the local and state policies may intrude but they do that anyway outside of schools in order to maintain order in this country so people should not be so opposed.
Mitchell, H. W., & Knechtle, J. C. (2003). Uniforms in Public Schools and the First Amendment: A Constitutional Analysis. The Journal of Negro Education. 72, 487-494 from: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici
Student Dress Policies. ERIC Digest, Number 117
Educators and the public are divided over the value of implementing school-uniform policies in the public schools. One of the chief benefits of schools uniforms, opponents say, is that they make schools safer. Uniforms are said to reduce gang influence, minimize violence by reducing sources of conflict, and help identify trespassers. Parents also benefit because they can spend less money on their children's clothing. Uniforms are also claimed to help erase cultural and economic differences among students, set a tone for serious study, facilitate school pride, and improve attendance. Uniforms may also enhance students' self-concepts, classroom behavior, and academic performance. Opponents, however, claim that uniforms violate students' First Amendment rights to freedom of expression; students are unable to experiment with their identities by wearing uniforms; uniforms demonstrate administrative power and social control; uniforms may also discriminate against students from minority backgrounds. What is important to point out, however, is that uniforms cannot erase social class lines because the uniform policies of school districts do not apply to items such as jewelry, backpacks, and bikes, that can present social class status.
A good thing to point out from this article is the claim that uniforms help to erase cultural and economic differences among students. That is important because depending on their age and living environment, some students are cruel towards other students regarding their cultural customs and their economic standing; those students do not have a full understanding of those concepts. Those who are unkind to other students can hurt those students so it is a good thing that uniforms allow all of the students to look similar; in the younger grades the kids who are nasty are cruel and cruelty is not something any student should have to deal with. With regards to the last sentence, that is why I do not think that people should feel so offended by the idea of uniforms. Since I do not believe schools have gone so far out as to eliminate items such as jewelry and backpacks altogether, students can still express their identities at least a little bit during school.
Isaacson, L. (1998-01-00). Student Dress Policies. ERIC Digest, Number 117. ED415570 1998-01-00 Student Dress Policies. ERIC Digest, Number 117, 117, from ERIC Digest. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal
Contributed by: Jessica K
The Return of School Uniforms
Jessica Portner discusses the mandatory-uniform policy adopted by the Long Beach, CA school district in 1994. The policy prohibits gang-related attire, caps, bandanas, baggy pants, and electronic pagers. Portner acknowledges that since the policy went into effect, the number of assaults, fights, and suspensions in the school district has dropped dramatically. These undesirable behaviors have decreased, it is believed, because uniforms put students in the right frame of mind to learn; uniforms can be considered a positive measure in increasing school safety. Uniforms also make it easier to identify intruders and reduce student violence associated with the wearing of gang colors. Judy Jacobs, a mother of two children who attended Rogers Middle School, is among the organizers to help bring uniforms into the school. "There are few boundaries for kids these days, with the drug use and violence, so if we can give them some limits, that's good," she says. Alicia Nunez, an 8th grader at Franklin, disagrees. "You come to school to get your education, not for them to tell you how to dress," she says. Gan Luong, another 8th grader at Franklin, adds, "It's totally bogus. If you wear decent clothes, you shouldn't have to wear uniforms."
It never occurred to me that uniforms could influence the reduction of assaults, fights, and suspensions in a school. I suppose that makes sense because assaults and fights tend to arise as a result of differences among students. Uniforms take away that difference because the students look the same. For this same particular reason, students looking the same, it makes sense that an intruder can be easily spotted; that is not something that had once occurred to me. The ability to spot intruders quickly will allow a school to remain safe; safety has become critical after the number of shootings that have been reported over the past few years. With regards to how uniforms help kids get into the right frame of mind, I remember how when I wore uniforms I felt focused and more prepared for school because I felt "professional" as a student.
Portner, Jessica. "The Return of School Uniforms." Contemporary Issues Companion: School Violence. Ed. Bryan J. Grapes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thiomson Gale. Providence Public School Library. 15. Nov. 2007 from: http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?.
Uniforms Rule: This fall, dress codes are an increasingly popular remedy for all that's wrong with American public schools. Do they deliver?
Students at P.S. 15 on Manhattan's Lower East Side joined students and wore uniforms for the first time in 1999. Alelia Newsome, the mother of a student, is happy with the uniforms because "it's much easier to find clothes in the morning." Educators around the country believe uniforms could solve the problems facing schools today. After the Littleton, Colorado school shootings, many see the dress codes as a cheap and simple way to make schools safer. Proponents add that clothing rules eliminate the baggy gang-inspired look that makes it easy for students to smuggle in weapons, drugs, and other banned items. Dress codes also make it easier to spot intruders. Uniforms, according to this article, are getting the most attention in middle and high schools, where security, school unity, and the extremes of current teen fashions are issues. Says Susan Galletti, a middle-school specialist at the National Association of Secondary School Principals, "You'd be amazed at the amount of time administrators have been spending on what kids are wearing to school. With uniforms, all that is eliminated, and they can spend more time on teaching and learning."
While I was reading this article, I definitely agreed with Alelia Newsome because for the couple of years during elementary school that I wore uniforms, getting ready in the morning was a lot faster and therefore more convenient for my parents; without the uniforms my mom and I would debate every night about what I should wear to school or I would spend a few minutes debating every morning. I personally do not like the look of the baggy gang-inspired clothing because it makes the students look like they do not care; this article proves a good point that baggy clothes can be better at hiding weapons, drugs, and other dangerous items. In response to the quote, I am surprised to see that administrators spend a lot of time discussing the clothes students wear to school; I always thought that the administration never really took notice of the clothing (nothing happened in any of the schools I attended unless the uniform policy was already enforced) and therefore I thought they were focusing more on the curriculum and standards for the school instead.
"Uniforms Rule: This fall, dress codes are an increasingly popular remedy for all that's wrong with American public schools. Do they deliver? (Your Family: Focus) (Brief Article)." Newsweek. 134. 14 (Oct. 4, 1999): 72. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Providence Public Library. 15 Nov. 2007 from: http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?
Taste -- Review & Outlook: All Dressed Up
Uniforms long favored by prep and parochial schools not only spare parents the inevitable fitting-room battles, they undergird the sense of discipline and community essential for learning. If that is good enough for private schools, it should be good enough for public schools. "It saves our working parents a lot of money and effort," says Cherry Hill Elementary School's principal Geraldine Smallwood. And it means that teachers can focus on teaching instead of worrying how inappropriately dressed the students are. Since the Cherry Hill Elementary School moved to uniforms in 1987, school systems from Cincinnati, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Memphis, New Orleans, Seattle, and New York have followed. Uniforms are considered by parents to be a bargain because they are inexpensive compared to other brands of clothes and they provide the elimination of distinctions between, for example, a girl whose mother shops at K-Mart and the girl whose mother shops at Bloomingdale's. "When you make everyone the same outwardly," says John Dilulio, a political scientist at Princeton, "students have to distinguish themselves through achievement. We've come to a pretty sorry state if self-expression is to be determined by purchasing power."
I do not agree that uniforms save parents a lot of money and effort because in all technicality, parents have to spend money not only on the uniforms, but on casual outfits for their children to wear as well; even if the uniform is inexpensive it is still an extra item of clothing. Sometimes looking for uniforms does not provide little effort; there were many times when my mother and I, if there could be a decision made between pants and skirts as part of the uniform ensemble, would debate which would look more appropriate and what I would be comfortable wearing before we made the purchase. I do agree, however, because all of the students look the same, that distinctions between the students are eliminated, and that is important because children of parents wth a lower income than others may get ridiculed for their clothing.
(September 11, 1998). Taste -- Review & Outlook: All Dressed Up. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition). New York, N.Y.: Sep 11, 1998. pg. W.9, Retrieved 11/15/2007, from http://0-proquest.umi.com.helin.uri.edu:80/pqdweb?did
Uniforms in Public Schools and the First Amendment: A Constitutional Analysis
Many educational stakeholders believe that uniforms may curb negative behaviors associated with student dress such as teasing, absenteeism, tardiness, gang-related activity, and school violence. Opponents of uniforms, however, believe that they will interfere with students' rights to choose their dress, which is a violation of students' First Amendment right to free speech. Proponents of uniforms believe that uniforms will promote student health, safety, and varying academic related outcomes. Uniforms, proponents believe, may also increase positive student attitudes towards school and its educational goals. Finally, these same proponents believe that uniforms can increase attendance rates, lower suspension rates, and decrease substance abuse rates. Those opposed to uniforms, however, believe that uniforms restrict students rights for freedom of cultural express in their dress; dress has cultural and ethnic dimensions. Also uniforms, they believe, will restrict youth engagement in normal developmental tasks of identity experimentation with dress. Finally, it is believed that uniforms represent and encourage the intrusion of local and state policies in the private lives of students and parents.
I remember when my mother reassured me that I could go back to wearing my casual clothes on the weekends. Yes uniforms may be a violation of students' freedom of speech but at the same time schools in the United States only occur five days a week. Therefore, I do not think that it is necessary for students and parents to feel so offended because the students can express themselves all they want for two days over the weekend. Students would have freedom of speech, which is an important value in this country, with regards to their clothing, but a logo that they wear might be offending to another student; it is not fair that other students may have to feel uncomfortable in their own school. After all, they are in school to learn and get an education, not to be distracted in their education by something that offends them. Yes the local and state policies may intrude but they do that anyway outside of schools in order to maintain order in this country so people should not be so opposed.
Mitchell, H. W., & Knechtle, J. C. (2003). Uniforms in Public Schools and the First Amendment: A Constitutional Analysis. The Journal of Negro Education. 72, 487-494 from: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici
Student Dress Policies. ERIC Digest, Number 117
Educators and the public are divided over the value of implementing school-uniform policies in the public schools. One of the chief benefits of schools uniforms, opponents say, is that they make schools safer. Uniforms are said to reduce gang influence, minimize violence by reducing sources of conflict, and help identify trespassers. Parents also benefit because they can spend less money on their children's clothing. Uniforms are also claimed to help erase cultural and economic differences among students, set a tone for serious study, facilitate school pride, and improve attendance. Uniforms may also enhance students' self-concepts, classroom behavior, and academic performance. Opponents, however, claim that uniforms violate students' First Amendment rights to freedom of expression; students are unable to experiment with their identities by wearing uniforms; uniforms demonstrate administrative power and social control; uniforms may also discriminate against students from minority backgrounds. What is important to point out, however, is that uniforms cannot erase social class lines because the uniform policies of school districts do not apply to items such as jewelry, backpacks, and bikes, that can present social class status.
A good thing to point out from this article is the claim that uniforms help to erase cultural and economic differences among students. That is important because depending on their age and living environment, some students are cruel towards other students regarding their cultural customs and their economic standing; those students do not have a full understanding of those concepts. Those who are unkind to other students can hurt those students so it is a good thing that uniforms allow all of the students to look similar; in the younger grades the kids who are nasty are cruel and cruelty is not something any student should have to deal with. With regards to the last sentence, that is why I do not think that people should feel so offended by the idea of uniforms. Since I do not believe schools have gone so far out as to eliminate items such as jewelry and backpacks altogether, students can still express their identities at least a little bit during school.
Isaacson, L. (1998-01-00). Student Dress Policies. ERIC Digest, Number 117. ED415570 1998-01-00 Student Dress Policies. ERIC Digest, Number 117, 117, from ERIC Digest. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal
EDC 102 Fnl Prj Part I Eval - Jessica